One in five of the cancers diagnosed in the over-65s were late stage compared to one in 14 in younger people, according to data from Cancer Research UK.

Caroline Cerny, SunSmart campaign manager for Cancer Research UK, said: "While the risk of skin cancer increases with age, the fact that so many over-65s are being diagnosed when the disease is advanced means that older people need to keep a close eye on any changes to their skin or moles to avoid late diagnosis.

"The earlier the cancer is diagnosed the easier it will be to treat.

"People should be aware of the basic warning signs for malignant melanoma.

"If a mole is as big as a pencil-top eraser, bleeds, is sore or itchy, uneven in colour or has jagged edges then people should visit their GP without delay."

Dr Jem Rashbass, director of the East of England Cancer Registry, which compiled some of the data, said late diagnosis is a problem in the UK and was likely to be down to a combination of factors.

He said it was important to find the reasons for the delays to improve early diagnosis.

Sara Hiom, director of health information at Cancer Research UK, said: "It can take decades for skin cancer to develop so to avoid developing the disease in the future, it is vitally important for young people to be aware that not protecting their skin from sunburn while they are young can increase the risk of melanoma later in life.

"Melanoma is a largely preventable disease; people can reduce their chance of getting skin cancer in the first place if they protect their skin from sunburn.

"Summer may be over, but the damage to skin cells shown by sunburn can remain long after the redness fades."